Town's racist graffiti investigated by police

Racist graffiti appearing in Ludlow has been described as unacceptable.

Andy Boddington, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Shropshire Council, said racist wording appeared on Friday night in various areas of Ludlow which had "long been a tolerant town".

The authority's Labour, Conservative and Independent groups also said such racism would not be tolerated. The Green Party group has been approached for comment.

Shropshire Council confirmed a team had been sent to clean it up, while West Mercia Police said inquiries were ongoing.

The council said, since the graffiti was on private land, it should be the landowner's responsibility to remove it, but it had sent a team out because of its offensive nature.

The ground, gates and footpaths had all been daubed with green paint, Boddington said.

"By the time the perpetrators got on to the footpaths leading up around the castle, they left only a few splashes of paint, presumably having run out of supplies," he added.

Some areas painted with offensive words have since been walked on and smudged over, or deliberately covered by people in the area.

In addition to the graffiti, the councillor said, flowers were also "trashed" in St Lawrence's churchyard and it was not known whether the incidents were linked.

Half term had seen the windows of cars smashed as they passed under the Fishmore bridge, he added, and a church window was broken.

"This is the worst antisocial behaviour I have seen in the 15 years I have lived here," he explained.

Anyone with information is asked to report it to the police.

Conservative group leader Lezley Picton described the graffiti as "revolting behaviour" and said crews had already been out to remove it.

"Any form of hate crime is abhorrent, and I would urge people to report such instances to the police immediately," she said.

"Ludlow has always been a very welcoming and accepting community and the vast majority of the community remains so. It is everyone's responsibility to call out this unacceptable behaviour."

Labour group leader Rosemary Dartnell said: "Recent antisocial behaviour and criminal damage in Ludlow - damaged flower beds, smashed windows and racist graffiti - is highly regrettable and seems at odds with the friendly and tolerant town and county we live in."

Councillor Edward Towers, Independent group leader, said: "This kind of cowardly conduct, carried out when residents' backs are turned, has no place anywhere in our county."

He added the Independents stood firmly with all other groups on the council against all forms of hate and intolerance.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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